A programmable controller (hereinafter, PLC) controls a controlled device based on a user program and parameter files that define various parameters. These control files such as the user program and the parameter files are set by a programming device. Furthermore, not only the programming device but a programmable indicator or the like also refers to these control files. Conventionally, the PLC uses a fixed character-code set for communication with the programming device, the programmable indicator or the like (hereinafter, “external device”).
A programmable indicator disclosed in Patent Literature 1 includes a plurality of sets of font data. Patent Literature 1 discloses a technique for switching the font data based on typeface identification information indicating a typeface of which country the characters are to be indicated. According to this technique, when an information process is performed using a common character-code set such as UNICODE, the characters can be indicated in an appropriate typeface even in a case where the typeface of the same code differs, by means of fonts of standard use depending on the countries to be used, for example.